Retractable facial protection

ABSTRACT

One or more embodiments of a device for a device for facial protection. The device includes a cap, connector, and facial protection. The cap includes a bowl and a bill. The bowl is sized and arranged to fit over a human head and the bill is arranged to extend from the bowl. The connector is fixed below the bill and extends in a first direction. The facial protection is connected to the connector and is arranged to slide along the connector in the first direction. The facial protection is configured to rotate in a plane including the first direction.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional application No. 63/051,625, which was filed 14 Jul. 2020, which is incorporated in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates to devices for head protection and facial protection.

BACKGROUND

In many situations it is desirable to use a facemask, visor, or other facial protection. These situations include times when a user might be exposed to airborne pathogens, contaminants, or particulates. In other situations, it is less desirable to have facial protection, such as when talking, when the risk of exposure to pathogens, contaminants, or particulates is low, while exercising, or while eating and drinking.

Most forms of facial protection require the facial protection to be completely removed when not in use. This often results in the facial protection not being replaced after the conditions that required the facial protection to be removed have changed. Accordingly, most existing forms of facial protection are inconvenient for the user and often end up not being used in situations when the facial protection is needed.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments are provided below for a device for retractable facial protection. The device may include a cap, connector, and facial protection. The cap may include a bowl and a bill. The bowl may be sized and arranged to fit over a human head and the bill is arranged to extend from the bowl. The connector may be fixed below the bill and extending in a first direction. The facial protection may be connected to the connector and be arranged to slide along the connector in the first direction. The facial protection may be configured to rotate in a plane including the first direction.

The device may provide significant advantages over the devices known in the art. The device may be worn by a user when needed and stored on a cap when not needed. The device also allows for adjustability of the distance between a covering for the eyes due to the connectors that allow the facial protection to slide on the connectors.

Other advantageous features as well as other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows an example bottom view of a cap with retractable facial protection with the facial protection in a down position.

FIG. 2 shows an example bottom view of a cap with retractable facial protection with the facial protection in an up position.

FIG. 3 shows an example side view of a cap with retractable facial protection with the facial protection in the down position.

FIG. 4 shows an example side view of a cap with retractable facial protection with the facial protection in the up position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, and steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).

The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.

Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.

The term “coupled to” as used herein may mean a direct or indirect connection via one or more components.

Referring now to the drawings and the following written description of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible to broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the detailed description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. This disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example bottom view of a cap with retractable facial protection 1000 with facial protection 1300 in a down position (facial protection position). Down position refers to a position in which the facial protection 1300 is covering or protecting the face of a user. The cap with retractable facial protection 1000 may include a cap 1100, connector 1200, and facial protection 1300. The cap 1100 may include a bowl 1120 sized and arranged to go on the head of a user (e.g., a human head), and a bill 1140 arranged to extend from the bowl 1120 in a first direction. In some example embodiments, the bowl 1120 may only cover a portion of the crown of the head of the user. For example, if the cap 1100 is a visor. The bill may include a securing mechanism 1142, which may be a button, magnet, clasp, or other device for attaching two objects. The cap 1100 may be a baseball style cap or other type of headwear that includes a bill. The connector 1200 may connect the cap 1100 and the facial protection 1300. The connector 1200 may be one or more rails, fabric strips, or other material suitable for attaching the facial protection 1300 to the bill 1140. For example, the connector 1200 may be a pair of fabric strips that connect to the bill at ends of the fabric strips and extend in the first direction. The connector 1200 may extend along the bill 1140 away from the bowl 1120 in the first direction. The facial protection 1300 may connect to the connector 1200 by a ring, hook, clasp, or other similar device such that the facial protection 1300 may slide along the connector 1200 so that the distance between the facial protection 1300 and the face of the user may be adjusted. When the user moves the facial protection 1300 to the down position, the user may adjust the distance between the user's face and the facial protection 1300 to a comfortable distance. The comfortable distance may depend on personal preference, eyeglasses usage, or other factors. The cap with retractable facial protection 1000 may optionally also include side supports 1400 (not shown in this figure to not obscure the features of the facial protection 1300 and connector 1200) that extend from the facial protection 1300 to sides or a back of the bowl 1120 and connect the facial protection 1300 to the bowl 1120 via the securing portion 1360. The connection between the facial protection 1300 and side supports 1400 is not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity in showing the features of the connector 1200.

FIG. 2 shows an example bottom view of a cap with retractable facial protection 1000 with facial protection 1300 in an up position (securing position). Up position refers to a position in which the facial protection 1300 is retracted upwards to be stored under the bill 1140. The connector 1200 and securing mechanism 1142 are depicted with dashed lines to show that they are behind the retracted facial protection 1300. The connection between the facial protection 1300 and side supports 1400 is not shown in FIG. 2 for clarity in showing the features of the facial protection 1300 in the retracted or up position. The facial protection 1300 may be configured to rotate in a plane including the first direction. The facial protection may rotate from the up position to the down position over the face of the user. The rotation between the up position and the down position may be about 75 degrees to 120 degrees. Restated, the facial protection may rotate at least 75 degrees between the up position and the down position. The amount of rotation may depend on the location of the facial protection 1300 on the connectors 1200. The facial protection 1300 may also be moved (e.g., slide) on the connectors 1200 when the facial protection 1300 is moved to the down position to place the facial protection 1300 at a comfortable distance from the face of the user.

The facial protection 1300 may include an upper portion 1320, a lower portion 1340, and a securing portion 1360. The upper portion 1320 may be a visor of clear plastic which a user can see through when the facial protection 1300 is in the down position. The lower portion 1340 may be a clear plastic (for example the same material as the visor) or a fabric mask, or a combination of plastic materials and fabric materials. In some example embodiments, the lower portion 1340 may include a pouch (not shown) for securing a filter (not shown). The securing portion 1360 may include a fabric material arranged to be secured under the chin of the user when the facial protection 1300 is in the down position. The securing portion 1360 may also include an elastic material to assist in securing the facial protection 1300. The securing portion 1360 may also be arranged to flip over the bill 1140 to secure the facial protection 1300 in the up position. When the facial protection 1300 is retracted to the up position, the facial protection 1300 may be slid to a side of the connectors 1200 proximate to the bowl 1120 so that the upper portion 1320 and lower portion 1340 of the facial protection 1300 are completely under the bill 1140. In some embodiments, the securing portion 1360 may fold over the bill 1140 to secure the facial protection 1300 in the up position. In these embodiments, the securing mechanism 1142 may be excluded. In some embodiments, the securing portion 1360 may fold between the lower portion 1340 and the bill 1140 and the securing mechanism 1142 may attach to a portion of the securing portion 1360 or the lower portion 1340. For example, the securing mechanism 1142 may be a clip, and the lower portion 1340 may include a section of plastic material arranged to be secured by the securing mechanism 1142 clip. As another example, the securing mechanism 1142 may be a snap type button, and the securing portion 1360 may include a portion of the snap type button to connect with the securing mechanism 1142 button. Accordingly, the facial protection 1300 may be configured to be removably secured to the bill 1140 via the securing portion 1360 and the securing mechanism 1142 if arranged in the up position and is configured to be secured to the user under the chin if arranged in a down position.

FIG. 3 shows an example side view of a cap with retractable facial protection 1000 with facial protection 1300 in the down position. The head of the user 3500 is depicted for clarity in describing the cap with retractable facial protection 1000. The head of the user 3500 is not part of the cap with retractable facial protection 1000.

The side support 1400 may include first straps 1420 and second straps 1440 with connection 1442. For example, the first side straps 1420 may connect to sides of the lower portion 1340 and securing portion 1360 and extend over the back of the bowl 1120 or under the back of the bowl 1120. The second side straps 1440 may extend from sides of the upper portion 1320 over the ear and connect to the first straps at connection 1442 when the facial protection 1300 is in the down position. The connection 1442 may be a button, hook and loop fastener, or other type of fastener. The first straps 1420 may cover the ear of the user. The first straps 1420 may be secured to the bowl 1120 over the bowl 1120 or under the bowl 1120. The first straps 1420 may include a stretchable or elastic material. The second straps 1442 may include a plastic material such as the clear plastic material included in the upper portion 1320 The side support 1400 may be arranged to secure the securing portion 1340 and lower portion 1360 to the face of the user.

FIG. 4 shows an example side view of a cap with retractable facial protection 1000 with facial protection in the up position. The head of the user 3500 is depicted for clarity in describing the cap with retractable facial protection 1000. The head of the user 3500 is not part of the cap with retractable facial protection 1000.

The securing portion 1360 of the facial protection 1300 may be flipped over the bill 1140 to secure the facial protection 1300 in place under the bill. The first straps 1420 may be connected to the facial protection 1300 and the back of the bowl 1120 while the facial protection 1300 is in the up position. The second straps 1440 may be secured over the bill 1140 to each other by the connection 1442 while the facial protection 1300 is in the up position.

The cap with retractable facial protection 3000 has several advantages over existing facial protection devices. These advantages include being adjustable so that a user can move the upper portion 1320 of the facial protection 1300 to a distance from the face of the user's choosing. The facial protection 1300 is retractable to the up position while keeping the facial protection in a convenient position for quickly replacing the facial protection 1300 to the down position over the user's face when needed. This improves the utility and the convenience of the facial protection 1300.

In some example embodiments different components may be omitted. For example, in one example embodiment, the side supports 1400 or portions of the side supports 1400 may not be included. In another example embodiment, the connector 1200 may not be included. When the connector 1200 is not included, the facial protection 1300 and side supports 1400 may be separate from the cap 1100 and may even be worn by a user without the cap 1100.

Also, in come embodiments the connectors 1200 and facial protection 1300 may be attached to a cap 1100 by a customer. Accordingly, connectors 1200 may be configured to be fixed below the bill 1140 of a cap 1100 extending in a first direction. and the facial protection may be connected to the connectors 1200 and arranged to slide along the connector in the first direction and rotate in a plane including the first direction, when connected to the bill 1140.

Many different embodiments of the inventive concepts have been shown. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the features from different embodiments may be combined or replaced with other features from different embodiments.

Advantageously, the device 1000 may provide significant advantages over the devices known in the art. The facial protection 1300 may be worn by a user over the user's face when needed and stored on a cap 1100 when not needed. The device 1000 also allows for adjustability of the distance between a covering for the eyes (upper portion 1320) and the eyes due to the connectors 1200 that allow the facial protection 1300 to slide on the connectors 1200.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention according to one or more embodiments described in the present description may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a cap including a bowl and a bill wherein the bowl is sized and arranged to fit over a human head and the bill is arranged to extend from the bowl; a connector fixed below the bill and extending in a first direction; and a facial protection connected to the connector and arranged to slide along the connector in the first direction, wherein the facial protection is configured to rotate in a plane including the first direction.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the facial protection includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a securing portion.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the securing portion is configured to secure to a face of the human head under a chin of the human head when the facial protection is rotated to a facial protection position.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the securing portion is configured to removably be secure to the bill when the facial protection is rotated to a securing position.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the facial protection rotates at least 75 degrees when rotating between the facial protection position and the securing position.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector includes fabric.
 7. The device of claim 1, further comprising: side supports connected between the bowl and the facial protection.
 8. The device of claim 2, further comprising: side supports connected between the bowl and the facial protection, wherein the side supports are connected to the facial protection via the securing portion.
 9. The device of claim 2, wherein the lower portion includes a fabric mask.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the upper portion includes a clear plastic.
 11. A device comprising: a connector configured to be fixed below the bill of a cap and extending in a first direction; a facial protection connected to the connector and arranged to slide along the connector in the first direction, wherein the facial protection is configured to rotate in a plane including the first direction.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the facial protection includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a securing portion.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the securing portion is configured to secure to a face of the human head under a chin of the human head when the connector is fixed under the bill of the cap and the facial protection is rotated to a facial protection position.
 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the securing portion is configured to removably be secured to the bill when the connector is fixed under the bill of the cap and the facial protection is rotated to a securing position.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the facial protection rotates at least 75 degrees when the connector is fixed under the bill and rotates between the facial protection position and the securing position.
 16. The device of claim 11, wherein the connector includes fabric.
 17. The device of claim 11, further comprising: side supports connected to the facial protection and configured to connect between a bowl of the cap and the facial protection, wherein the bowl of the cap is sized and configured to extend over a human head.
 18. The device of claim 12, further comprising: side supports configured to connect between the bowl of the cap and the facial protection, wherein the side supports are connected to the facial protection via the securing portion.
 19. The device of claim 12, wherein the lower portion includes a fabric mask.
 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the upper portion includes a clear plastic. 